Lupinus cervinus
Santa lucia lupine, Santa Lucia Lupine
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Lupinus cervinus (Santa lucia lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by large leaflets and color-changing flowers.
Santa lucia lupine is a California native perennial ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the Santa Lucia Range in dry open sites within broad-leaved upland forests, lower montane conifer forests, and chaparral at elevations of 500 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces light blue to pink flowers with a yellow banner spot, approximately 14 to 16 millimeters long. Growing 15 to 30 centimeters tall with an erect, spreading-hairy stem, it forms a gray-green clump with clustered leaves near the base. Its leaves consist of 4 to 8 leaflets, each 40 to 80 millimeters long and 10 to 30 millimeters wide, arranged on long 13 to 15 centimeter petioles. The fruit is a silky pod 3 to 6 centimeters long, containing 4 to 8 light brown seeds with a distinctive brown line.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species; key features are large leaflets and color-changing flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry open sites in broad-leaved upland forests, lower montane conifer forests, chaparral
Elevation: (305)500-1000(1425) m
California counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo
Bloom period
Lupinus cervinus blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Lupine has pea flowers and palmate leaves; sage has tubular two-lipped flowers and opposite leaves.; vs Artemisia: Lupine has large showy flower spikes; sagebrush has tiny inconspicuous flowers and silvery aromatic foliage.; vs Thermopsis: Lupine typically has 7-11 leaflets; false lupine has exactly 3 leaflets and bright yellow flowers.; vs Delphinium: Lupine has pea flowers; larkspur has flowers with prominent backward-pointing spur.; vs Vicia: Lupine is upright with palmate leaves; vetch is climbing with pinnate leaves and tendrils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lupinus cervinus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus cervinus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus cervinus bloom?
Lupinus cervinus blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Lupinus cervinus grow?
Lupinus cervinus occurs in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, at elevations of (305)500-1000(1425) m.
What plant family does Lupinus cervinus belong to?
Lupinus cervinus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
Is Lupinus cervinus rare or endangered?
Lupinus cervinus carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.